The Warning Signs
by LoryLynn1186
Summary: Something's going on with Abby. What is it? Should the team worry? Part 1 of my McBaby series.
1. Suspicions

**The Warning Signs  
**A/N: First of all I must give a huge shout out to Poohdog and her story "Pickles." If you haven't read it, go do that now and come back. That story spawned this story. Hope you all like it. And if you do, let me know!  
I've decided that this story will also serve as the prologue to _Bringing Home Baby._

* * *

"Got anything yet, Abby?" It was the typical questions and anyone who had spent any time whatsoever in Abby's lab would expect it. Normally it was a question that Abby delighted in hearing if only because it meant that she had the floor. Normally she would use that time to divulge major scientific break throughs and completely wow the rest of the team. Normally she loved it.

But today wasn't normal.

Those very same words only served to annoy Abby even further.

"You want to know what I have? I have nothing, Tony. Absolutely nothing!" she seethed. She pointed at the machine to her right as she began her rant. "Major Mass Spec blew a gasket this morning trying to analyze the substance that you brought me. I had to call a tech in who can't be here until 3:00 at the earliest." Then her focus shifted to the computers to her left. "I've been running the prints through AFIS for the last hour with absolutely NO HITS! Whoever's prints those are has never been arrested, been in the military, or been printed in any way, shape or form."

"That's not unusual."

Abby's head nearly spun around the entire way. "Not unusual? Someone who breaks into a house and kills two people, but has never been printed before? That's VERY unusual!"

Tony was taken aback. Sure Abby had yelled at him before but it was always in a joking tone. This was not one of those times. The last time she had yelled at him in this tone was when Kate was killed. "Something wrong, Abs?"

Abby stopped. She's lost her temper again. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Tell Gibbs I don't have anything yet. He'll know when I do."

Tony nodded. He turned to leave the lab, but stopped in the doorway. Glancing over his shoulder he watched Abby standing at her computer. She was shifting from foot to foot as she stared at the screen. Her usual bubbly personality was noticeably absent as was the blaring music. True, the usual tunes were still playing but at a muted level. It was strange, but Tony decided not to bring it up. He didn't want to be yelled at again.

* * *

Later that week there was a lack of work to do, aside from reports to be written and filed, so Ziva invited Abby out to lunch. It was a particularly warm September day so the girls decided to walk to a nearby restaurant. They were seated on the patio with a few other patrons.

"What can I get you ladies today?" the waitress asked while placing the complimentary water on the table.

Ziva glanced up at the waitress. She was in her early twenties and far too chipper for Ziva's liking. "I will have the Philly Cheesesteak with extra cheese, onions, and peppers."

"Baked potato or fries?"

"French fries."

"Anything to drink?" Ziva shook her head. The waitress jotted her order down on her pad and turned to Abby. "And for you, Hun?"

"I'll have the grilled chicken salad with Italian dressing on the side please." The waitress nodded and took off for the kitchen.

Ziva shot a look at Abby. "What?"

"Nothing," Ziva defended.

Abby squinted, studying her friend. "That look doesn't mean nothing. It definitely means something. Spill."

"It is just weird that you would order a salad," Ziva relented. "You always made faces when I ordered a salad."

Abby shrugged her shoulders. "If you must know, I've put on a few pounds recently so I've decided to take a closer look at my diet. I mean, do you know how many calories you are about to consume? The French fries alone have nearly 600 calories, not to mention the sodium content. And the sandwich—"

"Enough!" Ziva interrupted with a laugh.

Abby smiled and sipped her water. They made idle chit chat until their food was delivered and then all conversation ceased as both women dug into their meals with fervor. Ziva's sandwich was half gone as were her fries. She looked up from her plate to see that Abby had barely made a dent in her salad, but was staring at Ziva's plate with a hungry look in her eyes.

"Something wrong, Abby?"

Abby licked her lips. "Those fries look really good." Reluctantly she stabbed at the lettuce on her plate and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Would you like one?"

Abby nodded and quickly snatched a fry off her friend's plate. Before Ziva could say a word the French fry was gone bringing a look of bliss to Abby's face. "That was orgasmic."

Ziva laughed and popped a fry into her own mouth. Their previous conversation resumes, but Ziva notices as Abby continues to steal a fry every few seconds. She finds it humorous that someone so committed to a healthy lunch is stuffing her mouth full of deep-fried sodium.

"What's so funny?" Abby asked as the muted chuckle tumbled from Ziva's lips.

"You ordered a salad because you wanted to eat healthy and yet you are stealing French fries off my plate. Which you were criticizing me for only an hour ago."

Abby merely shrugs her shoulders and munches on another fry. "Screw healthy. I want salt," she laughs. The remainder of the meal passes with lively conversation and shared laughs. Eventually their lunch hour is winding down so the girls pay their bill and make their way back to the Navy Yard.

* * *

"Hi Gibbs!"

True to her word, Gibbs came striding into Abby's lab a second later carrying a small evidence jar in one hand and a Caf-Pow in the other. "I come baring gifts." He set the evidence jar in front of her, but kept the drink in his hand.

"Tissue samples from Ducky?" Abby asked excitedly, desperately looking for a distraction from her fingerprint scans.

"He thinks our sergeant was drugged before he was killed," Gibbs says confidently.

"I will confirm that suspicion by the end of the day," Abby promised. "Tomorrow at the latest."

Gibbs smirked and slid the Caf-Pow in front of her. "You have two hours."

"Oh…umm…no thanks Gibbs."

Jethro stopped dead. He'd been working with Abby for nearly ten years and never once had she refused a Caf-Pow. This was unprecedented. It was uncharted territory. "No…thanks?"

Abby spared a glance over her shoulder before turning back to her computer. "Yeah. I'm just not in the mood for a Caf-Pow right now."

Gibbs nodded, but he wasn't buying it for a second. Something was definitely wrong. "Not in the mood for Caf-Pow." He closed the space between them and placed a hand on Abby's shoulder. "You okay, Abs?"

"I'm fine Gibbs!" she assured him. "I've decided that my diet needs some revamping. The first thing to go was the Caf-Pow. Believe me, it's killing me not to drink that entire 64 ounces in one gulp, but I can't put that crap into my body anymore. Do you have any idea what's in those things?"

Gibbs quirked his eyebrow and studied his forensic scientist. She looked different, but the differences were minute. Her eyes looked tired like she hadn't slept well in the last few weeks. Her face looked a little heavier and her shoulders weren't as rigid as usual. She looked stressed, but that was normal for Abby. Something was off, but it wasn't obvious and Gibbs didn't give up that easily.

"You let me know if you get anything else," he called before leaving the lab. He took the elevator back up to the bullpen and returned to his seat. Tony and Ziva were busy at their desks and barely spared him a look. He stared at his computer without actually seeing it, his mind still back in the lab.

"Something wrong boss?" Tony asked.

Gibbs debated involving the others, but chances were if there was something really wrong with Abby he wasn't the only one to notice it. "Have either of you noticed anything…different…about Abby?"

Tony glanced at his partner, choosing his words wisely. "She yelled at me the other day."

"Well that is nothing new," Ziva chirped.

Tony shot her a look. "This wasn't the usual Abby rant. She was legitimately pissed. And no I didn't do anything to warrant it."

"She has been particularly…moody as of late," Ziva added. She quickly went over her interactions with Abby for the last week. There did seem to be a change in her friend. "She stole my French fries at lunch yesterday too."

Tony quirked an eyebrow. "Abby doesn't eat French fries. She doesn't like salty food." Silence settled between the trio as each of them contemplated their next move. "You don't think…I mean Abby can't be…umm…"

"Pregnant?" Ziva supplied. She had been thinking the same thing as Tony and judging from the look on their boss's face he was on board as well.

Gibbs sat at his desk and continued to stare into nothingness. All the pieces fit, but he wasn't convinced yet. They could be blowing this way out of proportion. There was really only one way to find out for sure. "You two, with me."

* * *

**Up next: the team confronts Abby about their suspicions!**


	2. Confrontation

**The Warning Signs  
**A/N: A special thanks to all my reviewers! You guys rock! Also I want to apologize for the delay in updating and the shortness of this chapter. It's been a rough few days, but there's no need to bore you with my life's drama. I promise the next chapter will be longer and much jucier and HOPEFULLY up by the end of the week!

* * *

The elevator ride down to Abby's lab seemed to take longer than usual. Tony and Ziva exchanged nervous glances, both wondering how this whole thing was going to play out, while Gibbs stared intently at the doors in front of him. He had wrapped his head around his forensic scientist possibly being pregnant and had moved on to the question of paternity. As far as he knew Abby wasn't seeing anyone, or at least she hadn't admitted to seeing anyone.

When the doors opened Gibbs stepped out, Tony and Ziva following a step behind, and entered Abby's lab.

"I told you I won't have results for another—" Abby's explanation stopped dead when she saw ¾ of Team Gibbs standing in her lab. "What's up?"

Tony and Ziva hung back, figuring that it was best to let Gibbs broach the subject. "Is there anything you wanna tell us, Abs?"

Abby's eyes darted from one teammate to another. She knew she was caught, but she'd be damned if she was going to give up that easy. "What are you talking about?" she asked innocently.

"You have been acting strange lately," Ziva stepped up to the plate. "And we were just wondering if there was anything you wanted us to know."

Abby shrugged her shoulders and avoided looking any one of them in the eyes. "Nothing going on here. Nope. Everything is fine. Just peachy."

"Very convincing," Tony muttered. Both Ziva and Gibbs glared at him. "Um, what I mean Abby is that…well," he took a breath and tried to approach the subject another way. "Abby we, meaning Gibbs, Ziva and myself, we think you might be…knocked up." And apparently that way was brutally honest.

Abby laughed. "Me? Pregnant? Haha! Yeah that's a good one, Tony." It was a deflection, and the team knew that.

"Abby," Tony whispered.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she tried again, this time her voice holding a decidedly sharp edge.

Before either Ziva or Tony could say a word, Gibbs stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Abby. He pulled her body close feeling her muscles tense before shuddering slightly. She buried her head in his shoulder as the tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm scared, Gibbs."

"You've got nothing to be afraid of, Abs."

"I don't know if I can do this alone," she whispered. After weeks of hiding this from her friends finally having the weight lifted off her shoulders was wonderful, even if it was only half the battle.

Gibbs rubbed his hands across her back for a few moments. Eventually his hands came to rest on her shoulders so he could push her back far enough to look into her eyes. "Abs, you don't have to do this alone. You will never be alone."

"We will always have your back," Ziva chimed in.

Abby looked past Gibb's shoulder and noticed that Tony had wrapped his arm around Ziva's shoulder while she was leaning into his touch. She wondered idly how long those two would be able to deny what was happening between them. Maybe her baby would have a playmate in the future.

"Thank you," Abby whispered. She stepped out of Gibbs's embrace and wiped at her eyes knowing that her mascara was probably half way down her cheeks.

"One more question," Gibbs said gruffly.

_'Crap.'_ Abby looked at him expectantly.

"The father?"

Abby shut her eyes and took a shaky breath. When she opened them Gibbs was looking at her knowingly. Rather than say anything she merely nodded.

"Wait…what?" Tony whispered to Ziva.

She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "It is fairly obvious who the father is." Tony's eyebrows knitted together in a questioning gaze. "Tim."

"McGee?" he all but shouted before beginning to chuckle softly.

"What is so funny?" Ziva asked.

"McBabyDaddy!" Tony whispered. Ziva fought the urge to smile but eventually lost.

"Does he know?" Gibbs asked quietly, choosing to ignore the two agents' shenanigans behind him.

Abby shook her head violently. "No! Please don't tell him Gibbs!"

"Abs he needs to know. It's his baby too."

"I know," Abby reasoned. "And I will tell him. I promise. I just haven't found the right time yet."

"Find it," Gibbs said pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You have until the end of the day."

"Gibbs!" But he was already out of the lab. The distant ding of the elevator echoed through the silence.

"He's right you know," Tony supplied.

Abby laughed and rolled her eyes. "He usually is."

Ziva stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Abby's shoulders. It was rare that the ninja was the one to initiate hugs, so Abby was quick to return the embrace, once against taking solace in the arms of a friend. "If you want to talk, I am here."

"Thanks, Ziva."

"Same goes for me." Tony stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Abby in a hug that would rival one of her own. "Congrats, Abs. You're gonna make a wonderful mother."

"Thanks…Uncle Tony," she smiled. They both shoot her smiles before leaving the lab and leaving Abby alone to plan her next move.

* * *

**One word: McBabyDaddy!**


	3. Confession

**The Warning Signs**  
A/N: Here you go, last chapter! I wanna send out a special thanks to everyone who reviewed this story! You guys are awesome!

* * *

Abby worked diligently for the rest of the day. She discovered that the more she devoted herself to the job at hand, the less time she had to think about how she was going to tell McGee about the baby. But even the most intricate of tasks didn't keep her attention. Her mind was running through a thousand different scenarios, everything from a simple text to a huge sign on a parade float; nothing seemed right. She knew that any plan she had would go right out the window when he got there anyhow. This whole thing was going to be one big improvisation.

After emailing the results of a chemical analysis to Tony, Abby shot an email to Tim explaining that something had gone awry with a search she was running and asking him to stop down when he had time. Now all she had to do was wait…patiently.

It was almost an hour later when the elevator dinged and McGee's head poked into her lab. "Hey Abs," he greeted.

Abby's head snapped up from the microscope she was using, her eyes landing on the doorway where he stood. Instantly her heart rate doubled. "Hey…Tim."

The use of his first name took McGee by surprise, but he let it go. Probably just a slip of the tongue. "Did you get the search figured out yet?"

"Umm…yeah I fixed it," she said quietly.

"Oh well I guess I'll just head back up—"

"Actually," Abby interrupted, she knew it was now or never, "can we talk—privately—for a minute?"

McGee stepped further into the lab, a worried expression gracing his face. "Something wrong?"

"No," Abby said quickly. "Not really. Just um…do you remember a few weeks ago? When we ran into each other in Georgetown?"

_McGee sat at the bar nursing a glass of white wine and waiting. His date was supposed to be there 15 minutes ago. His phone sat on the bar next to his glass, its screen displaying the time as seconds ticked away. He knew she wasn't coming, he just had that gut feeling, but he didn't want to admit that he'd been stood up._

_'I'll give her ten more minutes,' he thought. Idly his fingers traced up and down the side of the wineglass as his mind wandered to the case the team had just closed. It was never easy walking away after a case was finished, especially one that involved children. Seeing the Lieutenant Thompson and his wife reunited with their kidnapped daughter had tugged on everyone's heartstrings. Even Ziva had teared up at the reunion, though she was quick to hide it._

_"Fancy meeting you here."_

_Tim's head popped up, his eyes shooting to the stool next to him. "Abby?"_

_The Goth set her purse down on the bar and took a seat on the barstool. The bartender came over and nodded his head at her silently asking for her order. "Budweiser," Abby requested. She turned to face her companion and was met with a questioning glare. "What?"_

_"What are you doing here?" McGee asked._

_Abby thanked the bartender as he slid a bottle in front of her. "Well I was on a date with that guy, Richard, and let's just say the evening ended early." She took a swig of her drink. "Why are you here?"_

_Tim sighed and swallowed the last of his wine. "I was supposed to meet someone here, but I guess she's not coming." He looked down at his phone, hoping that maybe he had missed her call or text, but the screen was blank._

_Abby smiled softly. "Well then I guess it's fate that I showed up here and now. We can drown our sorrows together." She looked down the bar, waving her hand to get the bartender's attention. "Two shots of vodka please. Top shelf." The bartender nodded and set to work getting their shots. Abby pushed one of the shot glasses toward McGee and held up the other. "To friends, always there when you need them."_

_McGee eyed the clear liquid in front of him warily. He'd never been one for hard liquor, but tonight he felt like drinking. He picked up the glass and touched it to Abby's in toast. "To good friends."_

McGee nodded as the memories flashed before him. Vodka shots…lots of vodka shots. They had left the bar, both completely hammered, taken a cab back to his apartment and spent the night in his bed…and on his couch, writing desk, and in his kitchen. The next morning it looked like a tornado had ripped through his apartment; clothes were strewn everywhere, one of the kitchen chairs was knocked over, and there was a suspicious dent in the wall behind his dresser. He wouldn't admit it, but it was the best sex McGee had ever had. "I remember it…vaguely."

Abby smiled as she too remembered the night. Like McGee, a few parts were blurry, but what she could remember caused her to smile. Even after their relationship had ended Abby's feelings for Tim hadn't disappeared. They had changed, mainly because they needed to in order for them to do their jobs, but they hadn't disappeared completely.

"What's wrong, Abby?"

Her eyes shot up to his, green meeting brown, her nervousness clearly visible in their depths. "I need to tell you something." McGee said nothing, but nodded for her to continue. Abby took a deep breath and forged ahead. "Well we were both pretty drunk, as I'm sure you remember. And when people get drunk sometimes they don't exactly think logically and in the heat of passion we didn't…um we forgot to use protection." A long silence filled the lab with only the sound of Abby's machines constant beeping to fill it. The air seemed to thicken with each passing second, the tension mounting until Abby could no longer take it. "I'm pregnant, Tim."

A small smile formed on McGee's face. "I know."

"You're probably going to freak out now and ask me a million—wait…you **know**?"

"Yeah, I know."

Abby's eyebrows knit together as she attempting to process what he was telling her. "You know?" McGee nodded. "How do you know?"

"You know, I am an investigator. I'm not as clueless as everyone thinks I am," Tim laughed. "You've been moody, eating strange things—"

"I am not eating strange things," Abby interrupted.

"You were eating a Milky Way the other day," he countered.

"Why is that strange? I love chocolate." Abby wasn't sure why she was being so defensive, maybe because she was sure she had been better at hiding it than this, or maybe because it was a good diversion from the issue at hand.

"Milky Ways have nougat in them. You hate nougat," Tim pointed out. Abby's hard expression dropped immediately into a small, sheepish smile. "You've also been gaining weight recently, especially right around here." McGee stepped forward and placed a gentle hand against Abby's abdomen feeling the small, solid mass hiding just below the surface.

Immediately Abby's skin began to tingle beneath his touch. Their eyes met, each searching the other for some sort of clue as to what they were thinking. Slowly her hand came up to cover his, their fingers intertwining slowly.

"When are you due?" he asked.

"March 17."

McGee chuckled. "A St. Patrick's Day baby." Another silence descended. Their hands remained joined on Abby's stomach, McGee's fingers gently massaging the flesh underneath.

"What are we going to do?" Abby whispered her voice shaky with emotion.

McGee's eyes lifted to her face. Abby's eyes were glistening with unshed tears, her teeth biting her lower lip in worry. Her face was tired, her forehead full of worry lines, her makeup slightly smudged like she had put it on haphazardly. A closer inspection would reveal that her ponytails were just slightly uneven and her wrist cuffs were mismatched.

She never looked more beautiful.

Acting on a whim, McGee leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. "We're going to have a baby."

* * *

**I'm throwing around the idea of adding a few more stories to this strange universe that I have created following Abby's pregnancy and afterwards. What do you guys think?**


End file.
